If you have small children, or a particular affinity for minor league hockey mascots, look away now. Police are investigating whether this attack on Marty the Marmot should be treated as a crime; fans are wondering if Canada couldn't institute capital punishment just this once.

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During the second intermission of the WHL's Victoria (B.C.) Royals game on Saturday, Marty partook in a game of musical chairs with a few lucky fans. Marty had no idea the man in the green shirt was a ticking time bomb. When Marty kicked an inflatabable chair away from the man, he responded by bodyslamming Marty, then dragging the poor mascot around by the foot.

As the crowd and staff on the ice looked on stunned, wondering if this was part of Marty's usual antics, it soon became clear that it was not, as Marty lay on the ice for a few seconds before a staff member finally came to see if he was OK and helped him to his feet. While Marty appeared OK, from this reporters viewpoint, he was clearly in discomfort for the remainder of the promotion and as he went off the ice after the promotion was over.

As to the mean-spirited contestant, he left the ice to a chorus of boos and was apparently dealt with by arena security.